Whitleybanners 2016 07

WFN

WHITLEY FUND FOR NATURE

www.whitleyaward.org

Tree kangaroos as a flagship to protect Papua New Guinea’s spectacular wildlife THREATENED PARADISE

INDIGENOUS OWNERSHIP

TAKING THE LEAD

WITH HIS AWARD KARAU WILL:

Located on the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea (PNG), the YUS Conservation Area was the first of its kind in the country. Named after the three rivers flowing through it – Yopno, Uruwa and Som – it covers 1,500km2 of pristine habitat accessible only by foot, and extends from mountainous peaks to coastal reefs. This remote area supports unparalleled levels of biodiversity including flagship species such as Matschie’s tree kangaroo and birds-of-paradise.

Over 90% of PNG land is owned by indigenous people, so the support of local communities is vital for protection of the YUS landscape.

For over a decade, the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Programme has been working with villages to sustainably manage this landscape and the resources upon which people and wildlife depend. To facilitate this, Karau Kuna has developed Community Land-Use Plans (LUP) with 50 villages to ensure a consensus on resource use that takes into account both people’s welfare and conservation priorities.

Karau’s project benefits 12,000 people living within YUS and has created a positive dialogue between landowners and conservationists.

As a result, he has seen a growing number of individuals participating in conservation activities and a decline in illegal activities. Fortunately, 70% of PNG forests remain intact, yet only 4% of land is protected.

As the human population grows, sustainable use of natural resources is becoming more important.

Furthermore, pressure from logging and mining companies is putting traditional management practices at risk of being discarded in favour of short-term financial gain.

n Strengthen biodiversity protection in the YUS by engaging indigenous landowners and local government in conservation planning and monitoring. n Support communities to refine Land-Use Plans for the next five years to 2020 to guide resource management, implement conservation actions and enable sustainable land-use zoning. n Provide local rangers with field equipment and specialised training to increase management capacity, monitor wildlife and respond to threats.

2016 WHITLEY AWARDS

“ LONG-TERM WILDLIFE CONSERVATION REQUIRES LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND THE DIRECT LINK BETWEEN PROTECTING THEIR FORESTS AND PROTECTING THEIR FUTURE.”

www.treekangaroo.org Image Credit: Tim Laman; Ryan Hawk, Woodland Park Zoo (Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program)

WHY IT MATTERS: n PNG is one of only three Major Tropical Wilderness Areas on earth. n The LUP process has been identified as a model for replicating community-based conservation in PNG and has been incorporated into national policy. n The region is home to more endemic bird and mammal species than any other like-sized area in mainland New Guinea.

2016 WHITLEY AWARDS

KARAU KUNA PAPUA NEW GUINEA

WFN

WHITLEY FUND FOR NATURE

www.whitleyaward.org

Saving the Critically Endangered side-necked turtle and its freshwater habitat PREHISTORIC TREASURE

CRITICAL HABITAT

JULIETTE’S PROJECT AIMS TO:

Ancient and Critically Endangered, the Madagascar side-necked turtle, known locally as the rere, is the only endemic freshwater turtle on the island. Once found throughout western Madagascar, the species has experienced a rapid decline throughout its range as a result of overexploitation for food and severe loss of wetland habitat. Only eight stable populations remain.

Wetlands are Madagascar’s most threatened ecosystem due to mass conversion, siltation and invasive species. Their exploitation is exacerbated by a lack of understanding of the vital ecosystem services they provide.

In 2015, Madagascar declared 83 new protected areas but with no guidelines of how wetlands should be managed, making Juliette’s work both timely and urgent.

n Shape and implement locallyled management plans for two key protected areas that take into account ecosystem services and local customs. n Support villages to sustainably manage resources around these wetlands and establish community patrol teams to monitor and protect wetlands and their wildlife. n Promote the value of freshwater turtles among stakeholders in all protected areas where they occur. n Host a national workshop in partnership with government to support sharing of best management practices between protected areas with a view to expanding the project across Madagascar.

INTEGRATED ACTION Juliette Velosoa, of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, has led the recovery for the rere across Madagascar since 1998. Her project focuses on two key protected areas for these turtles: Lake Ambondrobe and Ankarafantsika National Park, which provide valuable freshwater resources for communities living nearby. Using the rere as a flagship, Juliette is encouraging community-led resource management and restoration of wetlands using techniques that favour conservation and improve fish stocks. Paired with nest protection and head-starting of over 6,000 young turtles, populations are starting to show signs of recovery.

WHY IT MATTERS: n The rere is evolutionarily distinct; its closest relatives are found in South America. n 75% of Madagascans live below the international poverty line. n This project will act as a national case study for wetland conservation. n Exploitation, habitat loss and trade are causing global declines in freshwater turtles.

2016 WHITLEY AWARDS

“ RURAL COMMUNITIES PROVIDE THE RERE’S BEST HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.”

www.durrell.org Image Credit: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

2016 WHITLEY AWARDS

JULIETTE VELOSOA MADAGASCAR